John Taylor Butcher Block Conditioner Food Grade Mineral Oil and Natural Waxes

My husband bought me a gorgeous butcher block type bread board with a "lip" at the back and another at the front to keep it from sliding around the counter when I'm kneading or rolling. Beautiful piece of wood that needs specific care to stay beautiful for many years. I read the reviews of different "food grade mineral oil" products, which is what the instructions (that came with the board) said i needed to use, and this one was the highest rated, so I ordered it. It came in 2 days, as promised, very carefully wrapped in bubble wrap. I took it home and used it that night on my board, following the instructions to apply it with a soft cloth - it went on very smoothly and soaked into the wood evenly and completely. I waited a couple of days then applied another coat, then after waiting a couple of more days, I used the board to knead and shape some bread - and (the real test!) - the board came clean with just a barely-damp wipe with a clean cloth. This is the objective for a good board - to treat it well with oil so that it never has to be soaked or washed with harsh soaps. When it dried, I applied one more coat of oil - a new board will take several coats to become fully seasoned, then maintenance coats periodically. I am loving both my board and this oil.

This is an absolutely wonderful product. I initially bought it to use on some unfinished, cheap IKEA wood cutting boards. Even after the first coat, the wood took on a beautiful hue as it was conditioned. For those unfinished pieces, I put on five coats initially, waiting anywhere between an hour and a day between coats (just depended on my mood and how busy I was). I warmed up the oil for about 30-40 seconds in the microwave and rubbed it on with a tightly woven kitchen towel. I did not wipe off the excess on the first four coats—I just gave it time to fully soak into the wood. Once I saw how nicely it worked, on a whim I decided to use it on some old, heirloom bowls that have been in my family for generations (they are at least 100 years old at this point). These bowls probably haven't had a drop of oil added to them in AT LEAST 30-40 years and had been shamefully neglected. Even with the first pass of this butcher block conditioner, the bowls took on a colour and life I didn't even knew they possessed (see photos for the before and after).I've since gone on to use this formula on the wooden legs of a chair I'm restoring as well as some mid-century cheese boards. In short: every wooden item in the house is being conditioned with it! I like that it is food grade so I have less worries if a curious dog or cat licks the finish. The smell is also lovely—it has a nice honey scent without being overpowering, so those that are sensitive to chemical smells shouldn't have any concerns.I don't leave many reviews, but I was impressed enough with this product that I feel it deserves it. Can I compare it to other butcher block oils? No. But I'm happy enough with it that I also don't feel the need to seek out alternatives.

The search for the best product and best food safe finish is over. This stuff is unbelievable. It gives the wood a smooth feeling like polly and really brings out the grain. It enhances the natural color of the wood without changing it. We are amazed by the depth of grain in Walnut, maple, Ash, and elm. It has a slight and pleasant honey smell when using it but does not have a smell once dry. To get best results you need to put very little work into it but the results far exceeded the effort.Here is what I did to get the best results and to reduce waste. In short use rubber gloves to hand rub for maximum coverage.Heat up the product for best penetration, seal, and finish.My recommendation for use.Get rubber gloves, hair dryer, and a wide shallow pan. Have a towel and hot pad ready. Place the wide shallow pan on the hot pad on your work surface with the product closed (seal under cap removed) place it laying horizontal in the pan. Use the hair dryer to heat the wood surface or cutting board that you intend to treat. As the water is heating up warm the wood surface on high heat and low blower setting. Before the water boils, leave the hair dryer on and blowing on the cutting board. Take tea kettle off of the stove. Pour water into the shallow pan so that the bottle is at least half way submerged with the lable facing up. Wait a few minutes and continue to warm up your cutting board with the hair dryer. With gloves on, set the hair dryer down and remove the bottle of product and wrap in towel. (Use tongs if water is too hot and use them to place bottle in the towel.) Shake up the bottle while wrapped in towel to prevent water from splashing off the wet bottle. Make sure your finger is holding the top of the lid down to ensure it does not pop open while shaking. Then place the bottle back in the water with the front lable facing down. Wait a few minutes and continue to warm the board with the blow dryer. Remove the bottle of product from the water and wrap in towel and shake well. The product should flow like water now that it is completely warmed, melted, and mixed. Now with right hand pour product on to cutting board while keeping it warm with the blow dryer in your left hand. Close lid on bottle and place back into pan. Use right hand to rub in the product while wearing the gloves. The hot air of the blow dryer should keep the product slick and viscous allowing it to penetrate into wood. Rub in circular motion all around the board and apply more product if needed. Be sure to rub into sides of board. Then rub in straight lines across the board in all directions to ensure even coverage. Use long even passes with the grain and focus on even coverage and try to minimize lines. Flip the board and apply to other side if pressed for time or do only one side at a time and do the other side the next day allowing each side to completely dry.After one hour at room temperature and low humidity, lightly wipe the board with a dry paper towel to remove any streaks as the product has started to set up and excess oil is brought to the surface. After 24 hours wipe off again with fresh paper towel to remove any excess oil on the surface. You will now have a very smooth and sealed surface. You will be so pleased by the expert results, you will feel so satisfied. I have never used a product that finishes so perfectly.